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Mobile phone charging kiosks arrive at the NHS

UKCharge, the recently established mobile phone charging kiosk company has struck a partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support and two NHS hospital Trusts to place its Brightbox Mark 3 units.

The Barker, Havering and Redbridge NHS Hospital Trust (BHR) and the Warrington and Halton Hospital NHS Hospital Trust (WHH) have agreed to take on units. Both deals represent a huge opportunity for potential sponsors, proven by the success of sister company, Brightbox, in US hospitals where over 17,000 users were reported across just four units in six months.

Pairing with Pulse Outdoor Media in the UK, UKCharge is able to offer interactive advertising to its customers, which has been particularly welcomed by standout sponsor Macmillan Cancer Support, whose generosity has allowed BHR patients to keep connected with their families during treatment. Alix Holmes, Information Officer at Macmillan says: “We are really proud to be the first NHS Trust to have one of these units and are confident that it will really help improve the patients’ experience whilst they receive their chemotherapy or supportive care.”

The Brightbox units can charge six phones simultaneously and have individually secured bays that are compatible with Apple, Samsung, Windows and Android phones. Users interact with the units through a touch screen that allows access with the use of a magnetic strip card (free of charge) and therefore provides a secure lock for that particular user. When the touch screen is idle it can display a range of adverts on a continuous loop.

Sonia Simpson, Director at Pulse Outdoor Media and one of UKCharge’s advertising partners says: “We're enormously proud to be working with UKCharge to facilitate the installation of these units in NHS hospitals, having identified the greatest need to be in areas such as chemotherapy day units, A & E and maternity suites.

“The hospitals with whom we work are incredibly enthusiastic and grateful that units such as these are becoming a reality. For many patients - and visitors - spending time in a hospital is a stressful experience and these units will give them one less thing to worry about. It's also highly rewarding for the sponsors as they have the opportunity to support the NHS and the public in a tangible way, visibly associated with the delivery of an incredibly practical service.”